Rock of Ages (song)
This article is about the song. For the 2005 compilation album, see Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection. "Rock of Ages" is a song by Def Leppard and is the seventh track on their 1983 album Pyromania. It was also released as the second single from that album, coming out in May 1983 and reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #19 on the Cash Box Top 100. It also hit #1 on the Top Tracks Rock chart. In 2012, the band re-recorded the song, along with "Pour Some Sugar on Me", under the title "Rock of Ages 2012". Both were released digitally on 4 June 2012. Track Listing '7": Vertigo / VER6 (812 858-7) (UK)' #"Rock of Ages" #"Action! Not Words" '12": Vertigo / VERX6 (812 293-1) (UK)' #"Rock of Ages" #"Action! Not Words" '7": Mercury / 812 604-7 (US)' #"Rock of Ages" #"Billy's Got a Gun" Lyrics Gunter glieben glausen globen (Hmhmhm, tsk tsk tsk) Alright I got something to say Yeah It's better to burn out Yeah Then to fade away Alright, Ow Gonna start a fire C'mon Rise up, gather round Rock this place to the ground Burn it up, let's go for broke Watch the night go up in smoke Rock on, (rock on) Drive me crazier No serenade, no fire brigade, just pyromania, c'mon (What do ya want?) What do ya want? (I want rock n' roll) Yes I do (Long live rock n' roll) Oh, let's go let's strike a light Gonna blow like dynamite I don't care if it takes all night Gonna set this town alight, c'mon (What do ya want?) What do ya want? (I want rock n' roll) Alright (Long live rock n' roll) Oh, yeah, yeah Rock of ages, rock of ages Still a-rollin', keep a-rollin' Rock of ages, rock of ages Still a-rollin', rock n' rollin' We got the power, got the glory Just say you need it And if you need it say yeah (yeah) Woah yeah, heh heh heh heh Now listin to me I'm burnin', burnin' I got the fever I know for sure, there ain't no cure So fill it don't fight it Go with the flow, ah Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme one more for the road, yeah (What do ya want?) What do ya want? (I want rock n' roll) You betcha (Long live rock n' roll) Now hit it Rock of ages, rock of ages Still a-rollin', keep a-rollin' Rock of ages, rock of ages Still a-rollin', rock n' rollin' We got the power, got the glory Just say you need it And if you need it say yeah (yeah) Say yeah We're gonna burn this damn place down Woo hoo, down to the ground Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh Length *Album version/2012 re-recording: 4:09 *Melody: 8:40 *Live: 4:54 Personnel *Joe Elliott – lead vocals *Steve Clark – lead guitar *Phil Collen – guitar additional, backing vocals *Rick Savage – bass guitar, backing vocals *Rick Allen – drums Trivia *The song begins with "Gunter glieben glausen globen", a German-like nonsense phrase introduced by Mutt Lange, who is of German descent. According to the official Def Leppard FAQ: These four words that you hear at the start of "Rock of Ages", mean nothing, though the band sometimes jokingly claims it means "running through the forest silently". It's actually just German-sounding gibberish, said by producer Mutt Lange during one of the later takes of the song. Lange was a perfectionist and would often do dozens & dozens of takes, and after repeatedly beginning so many with the standard count, "One, two, three, four" he simply started saying nonsense words instead, the band liking this one so much that they included it on the album. *As the song's melody begins, Elliott speaks the lines, "All right/I've got something to say/It's better to burn out/Than to fade away"; the second two lines are a reference to Neil Young's song "Hey Hey, My My (Out of the Blue)". Def Leppard's four-line version was quoted in the 1986 movie Highlander by the film's villain, the Kurgan. Young's line would later become immortalized in rock history when it was used in the suicide note of grunge pioneer Kurt Cobain. Category:Singles Category:Songs Category:Pyromania